Soil series profile

Kidder soil series

Kidder is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 219,565 acres in 21 counties across 3 states. Hydrologic group B.

#1612 by mapped area fine-loamy Typic Hapludalfs (Alfisols)

Drainage class: Well drained
Hydrologic group: B
Typical topsoil pH: 7.0
Mapped area: 220k

Typical Kidder profile

Texture and pH by depth

Depth to scale. More strongly shaded layers hold more clay. Horizon names are the soil survey's (A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent material).

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Typical Kidder horizons (representative values)
Depth	Texture	pH	Clay	Sand	Organic matter
0–11 in (Ap,BE)	Silt loam	7.0	14%	31%	2%
11–28 in (2Bt)	Clay loam	6.7	27%	35%	0.25%
28–60 in (2BC,2C)	Gravelly sandy loam	7.9	11%	66%	0.25%

Representative values from the most extensive Kidder map unit (Kidder silt loam, 2 to 6 percent slopes, eroded, survey area WI105). Other map units of this series vary within the series range.

Stock photo for illustration, not a sample of this soil series. Credit on the Sources & method page.

What this means

What Kidder soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems

For gardens

Typical topsoil in Kidder soils is neutral: pH 7.0, the range most vegetables, flowers and lawn grasses prefer.

Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers >99% of mapped Kidder acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is loam (56% of mapped Kidder acres).

100% of mapped Kidder acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.

For lawns and yards

Most land is in hydrologic groups B and C, where rain soaks in at a moderate pace.

For a septic system

For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Kidder soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.

Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.

Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.

Generated from the mapped numbers above using fixed rules, not a site visit. See how these notes are written.

Where Kidder soil is found

Mapped acres

Kidder is mapped in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.

Counties with the most mapped Kidder soil
County	Acres	Share of county land
Rock County, WI	48,256	10.5%
Jefferson County, WI	44,488	12.5%
Dane County, WI	32,815	4.3%
Green Lake County, WI	25,305	11.2%
McHenry County, IL	23,925	6.6%
Dodge County, WI	8,645	1.5%
Washtenaw County, MI	8,320	1.8%
Winnebago County, IL	6,152	2.0%
Branch County, MI	5,023	1.6%
Ogle County, IL	4,403	0.9%
Boone County, IL	4,393	2.5%
Winnebago County, WI	2,701	1.0%
Cook County, IL	1,568	0.3%
Kane County, IL	995	0.3%
Stephenson County, IL	807	0.2%
Lee County, IL	669	0.1%
Columbia County, WI	489	0.1%
Sauk County, WI	358	0.1%
Walworth County, WI	232	0.1%
Racine County, WI	16	0.0%
Kenosha County, WI	5	0.0%

Septic absorption fields

NRCS rating, share of Kidder acres

Not limited 0%

Somewhat limited 0%

Very limited 100%

Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Kidder acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Septic tank absorption field rating across mapped Kidder acres.
Category	Share of acres
Not limited	0.0%
Somewhat limited	0.0%
Very limited	100.0%

Drainage, water table and flooding

Share of Kidder acres

Depth to seasonal high water table: About 5.8 feet (69 in) (median where reported).
Flooding: Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
Slope: Typically 4–16% (median 9%).
Topsoil organic matter: Median 2%.

Drainage class

Excessively drained 0%

Somewhat excessively drained 0%

Well drained 99%

Moderately well drained 1%

Somewhat poorly drained 0%

Poorly drained 0%

Very poorly drained 0%

Drainage class across mapped Kidder acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Drainage class across mapped Kidder acres.
Category	Share of acres
Excessively drained	0.0%
Somewhat excessively drained	0.0%
Well drained	98.6%
Moderately well drained	1.4%
Somewhat poorly drained	0.0%
Poorly drained	0.0%
Very poorly drained	0.0%

Hydrologic soil group

A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) 0%

B: moderate infiltration 100%

C: slow infiltration 0%

D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) 0%

A/D: D as is, A if drained 0%

B/D: D as is, B if drained 0%

C/D: D as is, C if drained 0%

Hydrologic soil group across mapped Kidder acres. Scale 0 to 100% of mapped land.

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Hydrologic soil group across mapped Kidder acres.
Category	Share of acres
A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly)	0.0%
B: moderate infiltration	100.0%
C: slow infiltration	0.0%
D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet)	0.0%
A/D: D as is, A if drained	0.0%
B/D: D as is, B if drained	0.0%
C/D: D as is, C if drained	0.0%

Sources & data dates

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
Data date: SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
Scope: All map unit components named Kidder (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 219,565 acres.
Method: Shares are by mapped acres of Kidder components. The profile comes from the single largest Kidder component. Full methodology.

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.

Full narrative description: USDA Official Soil Series Description for Kidder.